The character of Café Laundromat depends on the time of day. During off-peak hours you’ll fit in perfectly behind your laptop for a light “day at the office” or a serious session of social mediation. It has an open café vibe with plenty of space so that you can be left alone to do what you wanna do. It’s also a good spot for a casual meet-up with friends. Sit in the upstairs alcove for privacy and find yourself perfectly perched to invade that of the other patrons and staff below.

Visit during the evening (like I did, even though it was a Tuesday) and the place is teeming with people exchanging banter and laughter while eating and drinking amidst the vibrant atmosphere they create.

Day or night, there’s something unmistakably hipster about Café Laundromat and I’m a bit unsettled about fitting in so well. That being said, it’s an environment I enjoy, and I’ve been there at different times to drink with friends.

The management of Café Laundromat really knows what they’re doing. It’s not surprising that two other their other places – People’s and Crow Bar – are among my favourite hang-outs. The beer menu is excellent and you’re also bound to find something expected on tap. I would, however, like to see their kitchen regain the quality of food they once had.

Your servers might not speak much Norwegian, but I’m guessing if you’re reading this that ain’t much of a problem. Cheers!

Kafé Celsius has been around for as long as I can remember and is housed in the oldest protected building from when Oslo was known as Christiania (17th Century). It’s a perfect place to stop off after a visit to Akershus Fortress.

As with many of the other restaurants in the Kvadvaturen area of Oslo, there is a touch of old grandeur about the place. Kafé Celsius has always prided itself on cuisine a cut above the norm – their menu consists of only a few dishes (though the lunch and dinner menus do differ) – a testament to their dedication to providing a quality culinary experience.

Now that Norwegian summer is around, it’s the perfect place to take in Oslo when it’s at its finest. There is plenty of room in the courtyard or out in the square to enjoy your delicious food while bathed in sunshine.

For lunch, choose from salad and sandwiches (shrimp or roast beef) to gravlax or mussels steamed in white wine. For dinner, Kafé Celsius dons a traditional Norwegian chef’s hat and offers a number of fish and meat dishes, including venison. Vegetarian fare is also available.

What sets Fuglen (The Bird) apart is that as well as serving top-notch coffee – and the coffee alone is well worth a visit – the cafe doubles as a vintage design store. Established in 1963, the Fuglen crew really know their Scandinavian retro.

But what really, really sets Fuglen apart is that this coffee/design store becomes a cocktail bar by night, serving some of the most interesting mixes I’ve come across. They specialise in Nordic flavours, with ingredients foraged from local forests and gardens. The drink pictured was infused with birch. The menu changes constantly based on whatever berry, herb or twig is in season. Check their Facebook page for regular cocktail theme nights, such as tea-and-coffee brews, grandma’s garden party, sours and tiki night.

And if you’re ever in Japan with a hankering for Norsk-style coffee, Fuglen also has a sister store in Tokyo.

Going out with my friends to have a drink and some snacks, we stopped by Café Sjakk Matt (Checkmate), on our way back from the harbor and Rådhuset (check out the article) and towards the National Theater station. We entered the place and passed by a table where a bunch of chess pieces were left by the previous consumers. A first sign that besides serving food and beverages, the place also allows you to order a board game and enjoy it with your companions. Since then, I’ve always seen at least one table busy with chess and a lot of people at other tables enjoying a bunch of newspapers.

The staff was friendly, despite the madness at dinner when every single seat is taken and the waiting time was a tad over expectations. But their attitude made up for it. Plus, the whole place keeps offering things to stare at as some of the walls are decorated with nicely painted glass, some salt or pepper bottles are shaped as chess pieces and a lot more.

What I also enjoyed a lot was that they serve really small bits (små retter). As in five sticks of fried mozzarella or fried onion rings and few others. With dips. They’re ideal for when you’re not too hungry but still want more than peanuts next to your drink. I’ve yet to try their lunch dishes, but certainly the ones for dinner were huge and tasty.

A restaurant/bar situated very close to the Central Station or bus Terminal, on the walking street Brugata. I find it very cozy inside and most of the time I spent there they played Spanish or Spanish influenced music at a very low volume, allowing the dialogue to flow easily. As I noticed on their website they also have live music at times.

When it’s warm outside they put out tables and chairs, so I was able to enjoy a cool summer afternoon there. The food is not extremely varied, mainly sandwiches, tapas and steaks. They do have a good variety of wines and beers, including good ones from Belgium.

The steak I tasted was really good, yet I think we were unlucky to catch a really bored waiter who wasn’t very skilled in English and who didn’t ask how the meat should be done. She also did not bring the salt and pepper support that you should have when you eat.

But the fun thing overall with this place is that is close to many hotels in the area and you can enjoy your food or your drink while taking a look at the locals passing by, more or less in a hurry.